McCain Claims Surrogate Meg Whitman 'Founded' eBay; Actual Founder Is Obama Supporter Pierre Omidyar

John McCain continued his string of gaffes this morning by claiming that Meg Whitman, a national co-chair for his campaign and potential pick for Treasury Secretary, had "founded" eBay with five employees.

In fact, Whitman joined eBay as CEO in 1998, three years after it was founded by Pierre Omidyar, a Barack Obama supporter.

Omidyar endorsed Obama on his blog in May:

"Barack Obama is showing a mirror to America, and despite the bad stuff we see in our reflection, we see that we are fundamentally good and strong and proud, and we can overcome our challenges by working together, across all sorts of lines, be they partisan, racial, cultural, religious, or whatever.

That's something unique about Barack Obama's America -- our America -- and that's the America I want to live in. "

Whitman has been lauded for turning the then-30 employee eBay into a multi-billion dollar auction site during her ten years as CEO. She now sits on its board. Recently eBay took drastic measures to spur growth by firing ten percent of its workforce. Days later, McCain suggested Whitman as a potential pick for Treasury Secretary.

Comments

[MoonsinLeo]

09:44 AM on 10/28/2008

No, Meg is the one who ran eBay into the ground, sillies!

[oscartucker]

09:29 AM on 10/28/2008

Meg should correct Mc so he can stop telling lies. She just smiles and takes credit for all. Why doesn't Mc check out facts--tha­t's what his camp is supposed to do. They are of no help to him. Romney looks real excited, doesn't he? ? ?

[DrDemon]

01:58 AM on 10/28/2008

The McPalin campaign does not know right, from up, from side, to down, from left to right.

The only thing they do know is hypocrisy & lies!

[HUFFNAME]

11:50 PM on 10/27/2008

He hired Curly, Larry and Moe to write his speeches and run his campaign (and and "redefine" him, weekly and weakly.) He selected a Vice Presidenti­al Candidate based on a few hours of starry-eye­d "vetting." Why wouldn't he believe the resume lies of his would-be cabinet members?

Please. Vote.

[Palemoon]

11:43 PM on 10/27/2008

I think the headline would have been better had it included "Iranian-A­merican" in there, to shut up all the people claiming that Iranians are evil. They are not. They are human beings, some very intelligen­t ones too. And they deserved to be treated as such as well as afforded the same respect as anyone else for their diverse talents. Like the girl who plays Martha Jones on the tv series Doctor Who, her real name is Freema Ayguman I believe if I spelled correctly. She's Iranian-Br­itish. Then there's Catherine Bell of Army Wives and JAG who is half Iranian. One of my fave singer/act­resses who lives in Germany named Jasmin Tabatatai is pure Iranian. They are all very good and decent people, just like Mr. Omidyar. None of them are evil.

[SimJack]

11:33 PM on 10/27/2008

Why not, McCain helped develop the Blackberry­, Gore invented the internet, there are 50 foot alligators living in the sewers of NYC, Iraq had WMD, J Edgar Hoover was straight..­. It's ok John, it's not you, it's me.

[moongal6]

02:18 AM on 10/28/2008

Al Gore, as a senator and then vice president, did help facilitate the origins of the internet. Just google it.
Out of all the statements you made in your post, the closest to the truth was the statement about Al Gore.
Just sayin'.

[marbiol]

11:31 PM on 10/27/2008

quick quiz:

can anyone post a FACTUAL misstateem­nt by ens Obama or Biden??? No???

I thought not (and i'm not at all concerned that huffpo continues to censor my postings--­i just copy them and email them to >10,000 "new liberal" friends/ac­quainces/r­elatives--­or suspected "progressi­ves" (as opposed to us LIBERAL DEMOCRATS from the 60s)..the MESSAGE is gettin out....eve­n with your CENSOSHIP (when I was a 60s era lib we belived in FREE SPEECH...t­he current crop of Libs/progs support CENSORSHIP­!!!!!!).

[Liberoservative]

11:19 PM on 10/27/2008

Is anybody on the "liberal elite media" going to call McCain out on this idiocy and lie???

NOoooooooo­oooooooooo­o... We just have to sit here in our liberal elite blogospher­e and cry foul.... what is wrong with this country???­??????????­??????????­//

I continue to watch the media sit and allow the right to espouse their lies and not call them on it.... over and over again..

Obama is going to raise your taxes and increase spending..­..

Well, plain and simply

BULLSHIT!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!

[ObsessedCanuck]

11:09 PM on 10/27/2008

And she's standing there nodding her head while he says it. Has she got Bobble-Hea­d Syndrome or trying to shake off the effects of McCain-ind­uced brain fog?

OBAMA/BIDE­N '08 & '12

[kburlz]

09:25 PM on 10/27/2008

Not only did she not invent ebay, she's one of the worst ceos in American history.

[dve2z]

12:09 AM on 10/28/2008

I agree. She made a bunch of catastroph­ic decisions (pour money into China, purchase Skype are the most glaring) and was consistent­ly lacking any strategic foresight.

She abandoned the company just when it become perfectly clear that it is going to tank.

McCain clearly out his mind suggesting she can possible fill the post of Sec of Treasury.

[moongal6]

02:19 AM on 10/28/2008

No, Mr. McCain should have Harriet Meyers as Secretary of the Treasury.

Yeah, that's it , treasurer.

[geriak]

09:01 PM on 10/27/2008

If we can't even say nice things about Meg Whitman then I guess all is lost. We all can't wait till this over so we can continue to blame who ever ends up in the White house for everything­!

[Naithom]

08:36 PM on 10/27/2008

ROTFLOL, he can't even vet this!

[XME]

02:29 AM on 10/28/2008

At this point, I'm convinced he simply doesn't care. He's just making it up as he goes along...sa­ying whatever he thinks makes him look how HE SEES HIMSELF.

[lagumbo]

07:55 PM on 10/27/2008

Everything that comes pass MCCAIN'S lips are lies. So we shouldn't be surprise. I am sure OBAMA knew this from the first time MCCAIN said it, but he or his campaign never disputed it. He knew he didn't have to, because sooner or later the truth will come out. OBAMA is so cool. He sits back and lets MCCAIN bury himself in his own s--t. When this is over someone will have to give MCCAIN a big shovel.

[Meyer259]

07:40 PM on 10/27/2008

It Just Shows How Out of it McCain is. He doesn't know who his advisors are. Pathetic. It reminds me of when Reagan in his last Year in Office, didn't Know who his Chief of Staff was. Anyway Ebay Is not what it used to be. I've sold on there for 10 Years, They Have Horrible Support for Sellers, 9 times out of 10 they Side with Buyers, even though Sellers Generate over 90% of their income. Ebay is on the Down Trend because of this. Now the are Telling Sellers How they are to be Paid, No Checks, Money Orders, Cash etc., I Believe if I want to get paid in wampum, it's My Business! Now I try to Sell Locally and use Ebay as a Last resort. I guess Meg Whitman will Show John McCain How to Treat Small Business;.­....... Like Crap!

[doglove]

01:40 AM on 10/28/2008

I quit them too as a buyer and seller.

No one gets a deal anymore.

Fee's that used to be 3 1/2% are getting near ten, and yes, the last time I sold something, I HAD to use paypal so they get their vig also.

Ebay's glory days are long gone;.

[Shrinath]

06:18 AM on 10/28/2008

I traded a few times on ebay. And now I sell locally. Ebay is not so popular anymore.

[ghana1976]

07:28 PM on 10/27/2008

Well we all make mistakes but I guess you try to limit your mistakes to simple things. And not do them in front of the camera's where things can be instantly checked. Does anyone know if Meg told McCain she was a co- invented or something like that about E-Bay or was he just talking off the top of his head? You know, sometimes people exaggerate their accomplish­ments. With McCain getting disparate at this point he's libel to say anything. Folks keep working hard and get out the vote. This is going to be a scary 7 days.